Why Is My HP Printer Not Printing? – Complete Troubleshooting Guide

Having a printer that simply won’t print can be enormously frustrating—especially when you have important documents to print and your HP printer seems completely unresponsive. The good news is that the issue usually isn’t catastrophic. More often than not it’s caused by one or more common, fixable problems. In this article we’ll walk you through why your HP printer might not be printing and how you can fix it—covering connections, drivers, queues, hardware, and more.

1. Initial Basic Checks

Before you dive into detailed troubleshooting, start with the simple things. Many issues are resolved by a quick reset or check.

a) Power & cables

• Make sure the printer is plugged in, turned on, and the power cable is firmly connected. HP Support+2HP+2

• If connected via USB, ensure the cable is plugged in on both ends and not damaged.

• If wireless, ensure the printer is powered and the Wi-Fi/router is functioning.

b) Paper & supplies

• Confirm there is paper loaded in the paper tray and it is aligned correctly. printerguide.helpscoutdocs.com+1

• Check ink or toner levels. Sometimes a printer will reject print jobs if the cartridges are empty or not properly seated. HP Support Community+1

• Remove any paper jams or foreign objects from inside the printer.

c) Try a test print directly from the printer

If your printer has a menu option for “Print a diagnostic page” or “Print test page”, use that. If the printer itself cannot print a page independent of your computer, the problem may lie with the printer hardware rather than your computer or network.

2. Connectivity Issues

If the printer appears powered up and loaded with paper/ink, then the issue often lies in the communication between your computer/device and the printer.

a) USB vs Network/Wi-Fi

• If using USB, check that it is selected in your system and the printer shows up in Device Manager or Printers & Scanners.

• If using Wi-Fi or network:

  • Ensure the printer is on the correct network (especially in homes/offices with multiple networks or guest networks).

  • If the printer says “Offline” or “Not connected”, you may need to reconnect it. HP wcc Site+1

  • On Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners and verify the printer is visible and set up correctly. HP Support Community+1

b) Printer status: Offline vs Online

Your printer might be visible, but if it is set to “Use Printer Offline”, it will not print. On Windows:

• Right-click the printer → See what’s printing → Printer menu → uncheck Use Printer Offline. Driver Easy+1

c) Network port / IP issues

For network printers:

• Check the printer’s IP address in its settings menu and ensure the same IP is used on the computer.

• If the router has changed or IP has changed, the computer might still be trying to send print jobs to an old address.

• On some HP printers, disabling IPv6 in network settings helped users when connectivity was problematic. HP Support Community

d) Restarting network devices

Sometimes the issue is network-related rather than printer-related. A power-cycle (turning off the printer, router, and computer for a minute, then powering on again) often restores normal connectivity.

3. Print Queue & Spooler Issues

Even when the printer and network connection are fine, print jobs can fail if the print queue is jammed or the spooler service is misbehaving.

a) Clear the print queue

A stuck job at the front of the queue may stop all subsequent jobs. To clear:

• Open Control Panel > Devices & Printers

• Right-click your HP printer → See what’s printing

• Go to the Printer menu → Cancel All Documents printerguide.helpscoutdocs.com+1

• Restart the printer & computer, then retry printing.

b) Restart the Print Spooler service (Windows)

The spooler handles sending jobs to the printer. If it’s hung:

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter

2. Scroll to Print Spooler, right-click → Restart Driver Easy

3. Try printing again.

c) Use diagnostic tools

For HP printers, there are built-in tools:

• On Windows: HP Print and Scan Doctor — downloadable from HP support, can detect and fix offline/queue issues. HP wcc Site

• On Mac/Windows: Via the HP Smart app → “Diagnose & Fix” feature. HP Support

4. Driver & Firmware Problems

Without the correct software, your printer might refuse to print even when everything else appears fine.

a) Update or reinstall printer driver

• Visit HP’s official site, locate your exact printer model, and download the full software and drivers package. HP Support Community+1

• On Windows: Device Manager > Printers, uninstall the printer device, check “Delete the driver software for this device”, then install new driver. Driver Easy+1

b) Update printer firmware

• Firmware is the software built into the printer’s internal board. Outdated firmware can lead to print failures. HP Support+1

• Within the HP Smart app or through your printer’s menu, check for firmware updates or visit HP’s support site.

c) Correct port & driver type

• Ensure the driver is not a generic one but the HP-specific driver for your model. Some users solved issues by switching the printer port type (e.g., TCP/IP vs WSD). Reddit+1

5. Hardware and Consumables Issues

When software and network checks are done, it may be time to inspect the physical printer and consumables.

a) Check ink/toner and cartridges

• Even if there is some ink, a cartridge may not be seated properly or may not be recognised by the printer. Replace suspect cartridges. HP Support Community+1

• Some HP models will refuse to print if a colour cartridge is completely empty—even for black-and-white jobs. Community posts confirm this scenario. Reddit

b) Printhead or nozzle blockage (inkjet)

• If your printer prints blank pages or extremely faint output, the printhead may be clogged or dried. Use your printer’s maintenance utilities: “Clean Printhead”, “Align Printhead”. hackmd.io+1

• If the printer has been unused for a long time, run the cleaning cycle at least twice.

c) Paper jams, feed problems or wrong paper type

• Make sure the paper is loaded correctly, not curled, torn, or stuck. Remove any jammed paper. printerguide.helpscoutdocs.com+1

• Confirm the paper size/type in your print settings matches the loaded paper (e.g., A4 vs Letter, plain paper vs photo paper). Mismatch can cause the printer to pause. HP Support

d) Printer internal errors

• If the printer displays errors (blinking lights, error codes) or makes unusual noises, check the HP support site for your specific model. Some errors may require service or parts replacement.

6. Environmental and Usage Factors

Though less common, certain conditions around your printer can influence printing behaviour.

a) Electrical disturbances

• In rare cases, power fluctuations or electromagnetic interference (e.g., heavy machinery nearby) can affect printer operations. HP support notes this possibility. HP Support

• If you suspect this, turn off the printer, unplug it, wait a few minutes and then power it back on.

b) Driver conflicts, OS-updates and security software

• Sometimes after a major OS update, the driver becomes incompatible or security software blocks the printer.

• If you recently updated your operating system and then printing failed, try rolling back the driver or reinstalling.

c) Usage patterns

• If the printer sits idle for long periods, especially inkjet models, the printhead may dry out or clog. Regular occasional usage helps keep the printer in working order.

• If you only print occasionally, consider printing a test page each week to exercise the printer.

7. When to Contact HP Support

If you’ve gone through all the above steps and your HP printer still refuses to print, it may be time to contact official support. Reasons to seek help:

• The printer hardware (control board, printhead carriage, sensors) appears to be failing.

• The printer displays a persistent error code you cannot clear.

• The model is out-of-warranty and replacement parts are needed (depending on cost vs value).

• You suspect a firmware/DRM lock issue (some reported that cartridges or functions became disabled after subscription services ended). AP News+1

8. Summary Checklist

Here’s a quick recap you can use to methodically troubleshoot your HP printer:

1. Power & cables: Ensure the printer is on and connected.

2. Paper & ink: Check paper tray and ink/toner levels.

3. Connection: USB or Wi-Fi/Network? Is the printer online?

4. Printer status: Is it set as default? Is it offline?

5. Print queue: Clear all jobs; restart spooler.

6. Drivers/firmware: Update both.

7. Hardware checks: Cartridges seated, no jams, printhead clean.

8. Extra factors: Environmental issues, OS update conflicts, long idle time.

9. Support: If all fails, contact HP.

Final Thoughts

It can be irritating when your HP printer won’t print, but the root cause is almost always one of the above — not something fundamentally broken. With patient troubleshooting, you’ll often restore full printing functionality. And once you’ve fixed it, it’s worth taking a few minutes to maintain your printer (run a cleaning cycle, update drivers/firmware, print regularly) so you avoid similar issues in the future.

If you tell me the exact model of your HP printer and what happens when you attempt to print (error messages, blank pages, stuck jobs, etc.), I can give you model-specific instructions too. Would you like me to do that?